Apparatus for sinking wells.



No. 803.484. PATENTBD 00131, 1905. 1).HICK0X & c. KILLBPBR. PPRATUS PoRSINKING WELLS. APPLICATION FILED 00T. 7, 1904.

NMOS/,4.84. PATENTED OCT. s1, 1905. D. HICKOX an o. KILLEPER. APPARATUSPOR SINKING WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.7,1904. v

2 SHEETSTSHEBT 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DORY HICKOX, OF GARDENA, ANQD` CHARLES KILLEFER, OF LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA.4

APPARATUS FOR SINKING WELLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed October '7, 1904:. Serial No. 227,608.

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Be it known that we, DoRY HIcKox, residing at Gardena, and CHARLESKILLEEER, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles andState of California, citizens of the United States, have invented newand useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sinking Wells, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus particularly adapted forsinking wells of large diameter.

The apparatus may be used for sinking wells directly from the surface ofthe ground; but itis especially adapted for use in sinking wells afteray preliminary well structure lhas been formed by the usual means nowused for wells of this character.

An object of the invention is to enable such wells to be sunk with greateconomy and rapidity.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that can beconveniently used to deepen wells of large dimensions which are alreadyin place.

As a preliminary to the operation of this apparatus the well may beassumed to have been sunk to a certain distance by the ordinary means,the well cavity or hole being lined with the usual cribbing.

The invention comprises a shell which is adapted to be inserted orconstructed in the well-cavity beneath the cribbing and to beprogressively lowered, by means hereinafter described, so as to protector shield the space to be' excavated and prevent falling or squeezing ofextraneous material into such space. Said shell is constructed toclosely embrace the lower end of the crib, so as to prevent penetrationor intrusion of material between the crib and shell and also to guidethe shell in its downward movement. The shell is lowered by drivingmeans, using the overlying crib as an abutment, and as the shellprogressively descends cribbing is inserted within thesame and below theoriginal cribbing to continue the latter downwardly.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure l is a vertical section of a well, showing the initial step inthe operation of this apparatus, the Shell having been inserted inplace. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the lowering-jacks in position.Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the lowering-jacks as having beenoperated to lower the shell. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the lineQ04 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective showing a corner of the timberstructure to receive the pressure from the jacks. Figs. 6 and 7 areperspective views showing two adjacent sides of the knockdown shellstructure. Fig. 8 is a perspective of a corner junction-piece of suchsides. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of a corner of the shellstructure. Fig. 10 is a vertical section on line w1 rc1 in Fig. 9.

1 designates a well-cavity which is excavated in the usual manner and isprovided with the usual cribbing or timber lining 2. This cavity havingbeen excavated to certain depth and it being desired to sink the welldeeper with the use of this apparatus, the ground is excavated belowthat depth, or the cribbing is removed, as shown at 3, for a sufficientdistance to enable the putting in place of the shell or casinghereinafter described. Said shell (indicated in a general way at 4) ispreferably of larger diameter than the cribwork 2, and it is thereforedesirable to make it of a knockdown or detachable structure, so that itmay be passed down through the well-cavity 1 in sections, which areafterward attached together to form the shell. Each of said sections incase of a rectangular well comprises a wall or side plate 5, two ofwhich have vertical flanges 6 formed or attached at each end thereof,said flange and the ends of the other plate being perforated for thereception of bolts and screws, so that when the four Sections are placedend to end in rectangular order, each end of the flanged sectioncontacting with and secured to the adjacent end portions of an unfiangedsection, they will form a box-like frame or shell.

The lower edge of each plate 5 may be sharpened to serve as acutting-shoe, and means are provided for driving and forcing said shelldownwardly, said means comprising jacks or other suitable extensiblemeans adapted to engage the bottom of the crib 2 and means on the shellto receive the pressure from said jacks. For this purpose eachshellplate 5 may have a horizontal flange 8 on its inner face, theflange 8 of adjacent plates being connected by corner-braces 9. Fig. 8.)

Timbers (indicated at 10) are placed across IOO between saidcorner-braces to form bearings for the jacks. (See Fig. 2.) Suitabledevices may be employed to effect a bearing on the crib above thelower-most point thereof-#for example, brackets or crabs, such asindicated at 22 in Fig. 2, may be provided, having claws or lins 23,adapted for insertion below the cribbing, the body of the crab orbracket extending against the inner face of the cribbing and being'provided with projections 24 to serve as an abutment for the upper endof the jack. The lower end of the jack in this case may be supported ona cross-piece of timber 20, stretched across over the timbers 10aforesaid.

The jacks (indicated at 11) may be of any suitable construction and areinserted between the timbers 20 aforesaid and the crabs or brackets 22.Said jacks are shown as having capstan-heads 13 and screws 14, wherebythe operation of such heads will cause extension of the jacks betweenthe cribwork and the timbers 10. The cribwork on account of thefrictional resistance of the adjacent earth will act as a stationaryabutment, with the result that the extension of the jacks will force ordrive the shell downwardly into the ground. (See Fig'. The earth withinthe shell may then be dug out to about the level of the bottom oftheshell without any liability of caving in or falling in ofl the earth atthe sides. The jacks 11 having then been removed, a layer of timbers isplaced below the bottom of the crib and secured, if necessary, to theoverlying crib.

The operation above described is repeated until the well reaches thedesired depth, the casing or shell 4 being continually guided in itsdownward movement by the engagement of its upper portion with the end ofthe crib 2 or the lowermost layers of' timbers 10, forming when the wellis complete the lining therefor. lVhen the well is completed, the shellor shoe above described may be left in place at the bottom thereof.

The preferred construction of the shell 4 is shown in detail in Figs. 4to 9, each plate 5 having an angle-iron 15 riveted at each end thereof,the projecting angles of said angleirons forming the vertical flanges 6aforesaid, the said flanges being provided with tapped perforations 16to receive and engage the screws 17, (see Fig. 9,) which pass throughperforations 18 in the end portions of the adjacent plates to engagesaid tapped perforations.

The lower edge of each plate 5 is preferably sharpened, and the lowerends of the angle-irons 15 are similarly sharpened, thesharpenedportions of' the latter continuing downwardly from thesharpened portions of the plates 5, so that the four angle-irons at thecorners project slightly below the shell. The main object of this is todo away with any blunt edges that would resist downward Inovement of'the shell, and incidentally its projections, for the advantage ofpiloting or guiding the shell to some extent in its downward movement.

The horizontal flange 8 is provided on the plate 5 by riveting orotherwise attaching an angle-iron 12 to said plate, the projecting angleof said angle-iron forming the flange 8 aforesaid. Perforations 21 areformed on said flanges 8, which are tapped to receive and engage screws22, passing through the angle plates or pieces 9, the latter beingperforated, as at 23, to receive said screws.

The arrangement of' the timbers 10 is indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, saidtimbers being beveled at their ends in such manner as to leave betweenthem a tapering space adapted for reception of a wedge block or key 25at each corner. On inserting and driving said wedgeblock home thetimbers willbe tightly jammed in place.

The timbers which are placed between the jacks and form a downwardextension of the crib 2 may be arranged and secured in place in the samemanner as the cribbing overlying the same.

What we claim is- 1. An apparatus for sinking wells'comprising a shellformed of detachable side plates, each provided with a projection, meansfor fastening said detachable side plates together and members restingon said projections for receiving a driving thrust.

2. The combination with a well-crib, of a shell adapted to lit aroundthe lower end of said crib, and formed of a plurality of side platesprovided with projections, fastening means detachably securing said sideplates together, members resting on said projections for receiving adownward thrust and driving means engaging with the thrustreceivingmeans and with the well-crib.

3. A combined shoe and shell for well-sinking formed of a plurality offlanged and unllanged sections, each having a projection on its innerwall, and screws attaching the unlianged plates to the flanges of' theother plates.

4. A well-sinking shoe and shell comprising four plates, each having ahorizontal flange, two of the plates having vertical flanges at each endand two being unllanged, screws connecting the unlianged plates to thevertical flanges of adjacent plates, and corner-braces connecting thehorizontal flanges of adjacent plates.

5. A well-sinking shoe and shell comprising four plates each having ahorizontal flange, two of the plates having vertical flanges at each endand two being' unflanged, screws connecting the unanged plates to thevertical flanges of adjacent plates, corner-braces connecting thehorizontal flanges of adjacent IOO IIO

IIS

plates, timbers resting on said corner-pieces, the flanges of theaforesaid sections, said shoe and keys in the corners between saidtimbers and shell being provided with internal prowedging` and lockingsaid timbers in place. jections to receive downward thrust.

6. A combined shoe and shell for Well-sink- In testimony Whereot` Wehave hereunto set I5 5 ing formed of a plurality of sections mounted ourhands, at Los Angeles, California, this with anges for fastening saidsections to- 26th day of September, 1904.

gether, and with projections on the inner Walls DORY HIGKOX. of thesections. CHARLES KILLEFER.

7. A combined shoe and shell for Well-sink- In presence of- IO ingformed of a plurality of flanged sections, FREDERICK L. LYON,

a plurality of sections detachably secured to GEORGE T. HACKLEY.

